More Headlines

The agent of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Jorge Mendes, is reportedly keen for the forward to leave the club, with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain apparently interested in signing him.

According to Sport (h/t Will Giles of Metro) the Portuguese’s representative is negotiating an exit plan for Ronaldo. Giles suggested the player’s relationship with Real manager Rafael Benitez isn’t particularly good, which could prompt the Red Devils to move for their former no. 7.

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague recently claimed on Sky Sports that “everything is ready for him to go back” to United. It’s also suggested it would be “dream” for Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford, but according David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror, French giants PSG are currently the forward’s preferred destination should he leave Real Madrid.

Ronaldo was a big hit at Old Trafford

To lose Ronaldo would certainly be a big blow to Los Blancos, especially when you consider just how important the 30-year-old is to the team’s cause. As we can see here, courtesy of CaughtOffside, he is one of the very best goalscorers ever to play the game:

For United and the Premier League, it would be tremendous to see Ronaldo back at Old Trafford. He may not be the same type of player who left the Red Devils, with his future as a footballer most likely as a No. 9 rather than an adventurous wide player. Still, his golden touch in front of goal remains prominent.

However, as a player who is increasingly reliant on the service of his team-mates, perhaps it’s no surprise his numbers have been a little erratic in recent matches, per Infostrada Sports:

In his last 11 La Liga matches, @Cristiano Ronaldo has now either failed to score or found the net at least three times.

It’d still take a massive offer to prise Ronaldo away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite being 30, Ronaldo has kept himself in tremendous shape down the years, and as such, he has many seasons left at the top level. As he stands on the cusp of breaking Los Blancos’ all-time goalscoring record, there are few things left for him to achieve in the Spanish capital.

United would reap the benefits of such a significant outlay, but you do wonder whether that money may be better invested in the club’s infrastructure to promote some organic growth and, potentially, toward unearthing and nurturing the next Ronaldo.